In January, Knudsen's team discovered that a brain area called the optic tectum (OT) sends visual signals that tweak the map: When the team members destroyed the connections between the OT and ICX, the map ceased adjusting. (sciencemag.org)
They also had a larger «optic tectum», which processes visual stimuli and could be related to the need to process more visual stimuli in larger groups, say researchers. (sciencedaily.com)
To conduct the study, Aizenman's group reared tadpoles in the lab, exposing some to VPA during the key window of time for development of the optic tectum, a critical part of the brain for sensory processing. (sciencedaily.com)